Report Comes as Parliament Prepares to Vote on Infrastructure Bill

LONDON—A panel of U.K. lawmakers is calling for a moratorium on hydraulic fracturing for shale gas even as companies are applying for permits to start exploration work in the fledgling sector.

The recommendation from the U.K. parliament’s Environmental Audit Committee in a report published Monday comes as parliament prepares to vote on the Infrastructure Bill, which contains a measure that would allow companies to drill and frack at depth without the landowners’ permission.